Sunday, April 11, 2010

Extension of jobless benefits

So, part of the jobs agenda of the democrats this year is what they call a "stopgap measure." A stopgap is a temporary substitute for something else. The particular item that is being referred to as a "stopgap measure" this year is a jobless support bill. Extending the benefits offered to people who are not working. Increasing the amount of time which unemployment will continue to pay them for and how long they will receive other benefits without having to go back to work.

Supposedly, this is part of the "jobs" agenda. Now, call me a weirdo if you want but shouldn't a "jobs" agenda be focused on figuring out ways to help create jobs or at the very least to save them? How does extending benefits to people on unemployment help to get those people back to work? How does it help the people who are worried about being laid off or fired in a struggling economy?

This doesn't seem like the kind of thing that should be in a "jobs agenda" and it definitely doesn't seem like something we should be spending over 10 billion dollars on.

I support programs like Job Corps, programs that help people to get marketable skills and place people in jobs. I support nonprofit organizations wanting to operate soup kitchens and shelters. I support the kind of efforts which are designed to help people get by until they can get back on their feet and which are designed to actually help get them back on their feet again. I cannot, however, support a measure when I see no way in which it will do any of those things. All this "stopgap" will do is to spend taxpayer money to pay people for not working. Where is the incentive for people to go back to work? Where is the job training, the job placement?

Whatever else winds up on the job agenda, this part of it needs to be cut. If it's not, it'll do nothing but plunge us that much further into debt. Thank god the jobs agenda has stalled in congress. Let's hope it stays there.

And if you doubt they're actually considering this, just follow the link.